Sheila Oliver

Political problems for the state's largest teacher's union continue to mount.  After going all out for Gov. Jon Corzine in the recent election, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) knows they have a potential problem with voucher-backing charter school enthusiast Gov.-elect Christopher Christie.  And in the Senate, it looks like Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), a protégé of Newark political leader Stephen Adubato, might replace Shirley Turner (D-Lawrence) as chairman of the Education Committee.  A fair assumption is that Ruiz will share Adubato's fervent support for charter schools. 

Turner could wind up a casualty of the contest for Senate President; she backed incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland), while Ruiz supported the likely winner, Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

Christie's problem with the NJEA might be more than just politics - he appears to have different views on how to fix New Jersey's public school.  And he might have the upper hand, especially with a potential political ally running the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), who is expected to become the next Assembly Speaker, has not yet indicated who she will pick as the new Assembly Education Committee Chairman.  The incumbent, Joseph Cryan (D-Union), a strong NJEA supporter, is expected to vacate the post to become Majority Leader.  Oliver also has strong ties to Adubato - she is the Assistant Essex County Administrator (and Ruiz is the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Essex County Executive) - but statehouse observers say that Oliver is likely to pick a new chairman who would be supportive of the teachers union, a key player in the state's Democratic base vote.

Reportedly not under consideration to head the Education Committee is Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee), who spent forty years as a public school teacher and is now vice chair of the panel.  Voss, Democratic leaders say, lacks intellectual heft to take on the post.  Instead, Democrats could turn to Patrick Diegnan (D-South Plainfield), a Cryan/Oliver ally and the current chairman of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.  If Diegnan turns it down - the Middlesex County Democrat might want to stay where he is, considering the importance of Rutgers University to his district, the leadership might go with the highly-regarded Mila Jasey (D-South Orange), a former school board member but an ally of outgoing Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland), or Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Twp.), a member of South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross' political organization.

East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser (over Gov. Jon Corzine's left shoulder), and Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, far right.

East Orange Mayor Robert Boswer today said he believes Chris Christie's victory over Jon Corzine in the governor's race earlier this month should spark Democratic Party senators to reconsider their abandonment of support for Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland).

"I don't know what to expect at all from Chris Christie, and probably won't get any kind of clues until the transition team changes the guard, but I do believe Christie's win changes the dynamic for the senate presidency and the same thing for the speaker of the assembly," said Bowser.

At last public count, Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) has 15 caucus votes to Codey's eight heading into their Nov. 23rd Statehouse confab and presumptive legislative leadership change.

Assembly Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne) wants his committee assignments back.

Chiappone, charged with allegedly cashing legislative aides' checks for personal and campaign use, was stripped of his membership in three committees by Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) immediately after he was indicted by the state Attorney General's Office.

But Chiappone insists he's innocent, and news of his indictment did not doom his reelection in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans eight-to-one.  Chiappone and running mate Charles Mainor - a police detective who was narrowly the top vote getter - got nearly three times the vote totals of their two Republican opponents. 

"Naturally I'd like to have [the committee assignments] back," said Chiappone.  "What the people basically said is what I've been asking them: give me the benefit of the doubt, give me the presumption of innocence."

Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange)

Her early critics quietly grumble that she's a political neophyte - the preferred Essex County term of art for someone who rises too quickly in politics.

But Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), a veteran of East Orange local politics, said she is more than ready to assume the lead role in the lower house come Nov. 23rd, when both the Assemby and the senate are scheduled to vote on leadership. 

Her rapid ascent coincides with the fast dimming political career of lame duck Gov. Jon Corzine.

"He genuinely wanted to effectuate glaring social issues of interest to a broad cross section to advocay groups, but did not understand the complexity of navigating the shark and barracuda filled waters of New Jersey politics," said Oliver when asked to reflect on Corzine's legacy.  

Poised with a sufficient number of caucus votes to become the Assembly's first African American woman speaker as succesor to Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden), Oliver said she received a phone call yesterday from Gov.-elect Chris Christie but was unavailable. She said she intends to return his call today.

One recurring theme in newspaper endorsements from across the state: some candidates don't properly prepare for editorial board meetings.  In several cases during this cycle, newspapers said they were reluctant to endorse incumbents, but had no choice after challengers were either ill-equipped to answer public policy questions, or simply did not respond to invitations to participate.  Newspapers wouldn't have necessarily endorsed the challengers if they met them, or if they were not competent, but incumbents are favored when the challengers don't even show up.

The Record and the Herald News still endorsed Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), likely to be the next Assembly Speaker, even though they were "skeptical, given the heavy influence of New Jersey's political machinery," of her claim to be an independent thinker - and despite her possession of another full-time government job. Oliver's GOP opponents did not meet with the newspaper's editorial board: "We have no sense of whether they can back up their promises."

In the neighboring 35th district, the Record and the Herald News lamented over their choices when they endorsed incumbents Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) and Elease Evans (D-Paterson).

"It is possible the Republicans would make excellent members of the Assembly, yet they did not meet with The Herald News' editorial board. Their positions on issues important to the state and to the district are less clear to us.  While we are not comfortable, given these difficult times, with two incumbents who hold close ties to the state's powerful unions, we cannot endorse challengers whose positions and allegiances are largely unknown," the editorials said.  "It would be better if voters in the 35th had a greater choice for Assembly. As it is, the choices are few, and from here, the known is a step above the unknown."

The Courier Post complained that two of the three Republican candidates for Camden County Freeholder wouldn't take their calls, and the third candidate was not even remotely ready for public office.  Brian Kluchnick, a GOP Assembly candidate in the fifth district, also didn't return phone calls.  The Courier-Post has surely shown a willingness to endorse Republican candidates.

The Record and the Herald News have endorsed incumbent Democratic legislators in Districts 34 and 35, but said that they were "skeptical, given the heavy influence of New Jersey's political machinery" that Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) is an "independent thinker."

Oliver is expected to become the next Assembly Speaker when the Legislature reorganizes in January.  The two newspapers also endorsed Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (D-Montclair) for re-election.

Barry Funt is one of the Republican candidates for State Assembly in District 27, which has voted Democratic in four straight elections

Three long-shot Assembly candidates today accused Gov. Jon Corzine of using his personal wealth to silence influential members of the black community on an issue they say they are their allies on: school vouchers.

"We strongly believe that school choice is the way out.  Many of these ministers have advocated the same thing, and ultimately you've seen the damaging impacts of Corzine's money," said Barry Funt, a Republican running for assembly in District 27 who has organized a group of mostly Republican Assembly challengers called "Citizens for Assembly."

Funt was joined by two black Assembly candidates - Herbert Glenn, a Republican running in District 28; and Rev. Clenard Childress, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent who is running in District 34.  Districts 28 and 34 are heavily Democratic.

At issue were the recent revelations that Corzine's philanthropic foundation last year gave $87,000 to the church of influential Reverend Reginald Jackson - who heads the Black Ministers Council and endorsed Corzine this month -- and $1 million three years ago to the Camden County nonprofit organization and church run by Rev. Bishop David G. Evans, who is a member of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority's board. 

"When you have a job that basically appears to be appointed by Democrats in New Jersey already and you're receiving cash grants or whatever loan funds from the governor, how much can you stand up and point to the gross negligence of African-American leadership, and leadership in this government," said District 28 Republican Assembly candidate Herb Glenn, referring to Evans. 

Still, the candidates were careful not to go out after the black religious leaders too forcefully. 

Glenn, who sat next to a photo of himself holding an umbrella over Jackson while he spoke at a July school choice rally in front of the State House, tempered his language on the Jackson. 

Jackson sits on the board of E3 (Excellent Education for Everyone) - a group that supports school vouchers, and has been an outspoken proponent of the idea.  Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie even engaged in a public flirtation with Jackson for his support.

The Trenton Times has endorsed Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) and Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee Chairman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) for re-election.  Watson Coleman, a former Democratic State Chairman, remains a candidate for Assembly Speaker, even though a majority of the Democratic Caucus has endorsed Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) for the post. 

Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), who has enough committed support to become the next Speaker, was unsuccessful in her initiative to organize a "unity" meeting of the Senate and Assembly Democrats in New Brunswick next week.  Oliver e-mailed an invitation to Democratic legislators around 5PM today, and then cancelled the event in less than an hour.

Click here to view Oliver's memos.

Four Bergen County Democrats -- Valerie Huttle (D-Englewood), Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood), Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee), and Connie Wagner (D-Paramus) -- are expected to endorse Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) for Assembly Speaker today.  Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) also says he's voting for Oliver.  That would bring her hard count to 39.

Five incumbents seeking re-election have not yet disclosed their choice in the race for Speaker: Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), Elease Evans (D-Paterson), Nellie Pou (D-Paterson), Joan Quigley (D-Jersey City), Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), and Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilon).  A seventh incumbent, Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne), who is under indictment, has been tossed from the Democratic Caucus.